IN what has been described as the most emotional and best showings of Angus cattle in Australia, two Central West studs have risen to the top to claim royal honours.
A total of 293 head of Angus cattle from 54 studs stepped into the ring on April 13 and 14 for the Angus feature show to celebrate 100 years of Angus.
Years of breeding and blood, sweat and tears came down to this one moment, and it was all worthwhile for the Fuller family of Pine Creek Angus, Cowra, who won it all with their show-stopping bull Black Diamond 5R Kodiak N411.
Impressing judge William McLaren, Perth, Scotland, with his moderate frame and correctness, the 924 kilogram upcoming sire was sashed senior and grand champion bull, as well as best exhibit.
Sired by HF Kodiak 5R from Black Diamond Ms Expedition J406, the two-year-old measured 131cm sq in the eye muscle area (EMA) and 11mm and 8mm in the rump and rib fat.
Mr McLaren said he was a bull with a lot of power, good bone and leg. "He is a great example of the breed with a lot of length and had extension throughout, and a good head," he said.
It was an emotional win for the Fuller family who had been showing at Sydney for 60 years, with Christie Fuller saying to do it in a centenary year is priceless.
This win follows on from the bull's dominant performance in 2018 when he was crowned the interbreed champion junior bull at Melbourne Royal Show, while also being a member of the all breeds interbreed junior champion pair at the Royal Adelaide Show.
Purchased for $20,000 by the Swain family, Kaytee Angus, Kodiak N411 is destined to be shown at the Angus feature shows in Melbourne and Adelaide.
In a female showing that kept getting stronger, and stronger as the classes went on, it was a 27-month-old from Tattykeel Angus stud, Oberon, who took out the grand champion female award, following her senior champion win.
Tattykeel Blackcap Essence M26 was by SAV International 2020 from the 2012 Angus Miss World champion DMM Blackcap Essence 7Y, and showed with an eight-month-old heifer calf at side sired by SAV Radiance 0801.
Mr McLaren said it was a hard decision between the females. "I love the moderate frame of this female and she is smooth, soft and easy fleshing," he said. "Shes a lovely working type of female with a lovely udder under her, and she moves well, with a great heifer calf at foot."
The Gilmore family of Tattykeel, who have only been showing Angus for three years, said the win was so special and emotional for them because it was with a lost family member, the late Martin Gilmore's favourite animal. "From an early age he said that's the cow, that's where we have got to be at. "Continuing through that (Martin's death) only eight months ago, and this cow being his pick, we are happy to be able to do it with her," James Gilmore said.
Graham and James Gilmore said they calved the female down early to realign here with all the other calvers, they then flushed the female eight weeks after calving to another SAV bull.
"This female is so sound and productive to us, she has calved early then we flushed her and got her back in calf - what more could you want from a female?" they said.
Tattykeel's grand champion female teamed up with their two senior bulls, including the reserve senior champion Tattykeel Global M14, to win the Angus breeder's group. The stud also took home first in the dam's progeny group with their two head representation of DMM Miss Essence 61W progeny.
Sire's progeny went to the Northern View SMW Gustov 3Z group from PC Angus. This was the first time a group of Gustov progeny was shown, with semen in the Angus Centenary and Feature Show Sale sold for $700 per straw to John Weekley, Merom Pastoral Company, Victoria.
Yamba Angus, Orange, took home intermediate champion female with Yamba Keen N153, that went up against the calf champion female in Black Diamond Miss Paspaley P401, to also be named junior champion.
The Wheeler family from RDM Angus snapped up reserve calf female with RDMG Blackcap Essence P2, reserve intermediate female went to the McLauchlan family, PJ Angus, Mortlake, Victoria, with their entry PJ Wilcoola N28, and reserve senior female was awarded to KO Dream K66 exhibited by KO Angus, Kangaloon.
Pair of females was won by Pine Creek Angus, while pair of bulls was Yamba Angus.
The Duddy family of Killian Angus, Tamworth, exhibited the intermediate champion bull Killain Mustang N4, with reserve going to KO Angus' entry, KO 2240 Next Step N106.
Calf champion bull was Pine Creek's PC Perpetrator P024, while RDM Angus had the reserve calf ribbon with RDMG Sudden Shock P1.
Judge William McLaren said the Angus feature show were the two best days he has ever had judging cattle, and the showing of Angus at the Sydney Royal Show was the best he had seen in the world,
"Strong classes just kept coming and coming. The breeders should be commended for their efforts, despite the hardships and drought, the cattle have been exceptional," he said.
"People coming here is 2021 for the World Angus Feature will be really impressed when the breed puts on a great show in Australia again."